^4 Biographical Account of [f^EB. 



part^ be surprised to see some of the opinions of Dr. Priestley, 

 which were looked upon as most absurd — as, for example, that 

 all combustible bodies contain a common principle of inflamma- 

 bility — established in a satisfactory manner. 



The next grand point of view in which we are to examine Dr. 

 Priestley, is as a theologian. Theology was the great object of 

 his life ; and the writings which he published on the Christian 

 leligion are so numerous, that i could not attempt to enter upon 

 any analysis of them : but as his religious opinions were pecu- 

 liar, and very well marked, I shall endeavour to give an abstract 

 of his creed. 



He was educated in the principles of strict Calvinism, to 

 which all his early friends were zealously attached, and from 

 which, therefore, he could not deviate without injuring himself 

 materially in their good opinion. He first became an Arminian, 

 then an Arian, and last of all a Socinian. As might have been 

 expected from his situation, he was an enemy to all church 

 establishments, and thought that there should be no connection 

 between church and state. 



He believed in the existence of one God, infinite in power, 

 in wisdom, and in goodness, the author and creator of all 

 things. The system of the universe was, in his opinion, the 

 best possible; the apparent imperfections and the evil which 

 exists in it Ijeing necessary to produce the greatest possible 

 quantity of happiness. The object of the Deity was to commu- 

 nicate happiness to all his creatures, an object which will be 

 ultimately accomplished, and all creatures of course will be 

 ultimately happy. The object of punishment, when the Deity 

 inflicts it on his creatures, is not vengeance, but reformation 5 

 and when it has accomplished that object it will cease of itself. 

 Things were arranged with such skill at the original creation, 

 that there is no occasion for the interference of the Deity, 

 except in particular cases allowed for at first : hence the doc- 

 trine of a particular providence was not admitted into his creed. 

 For the knowledge of life and immortality in a future world we 

 are entirely indebted to the Christian religion ; natural reason 

 might have made the opinion probable, but was not sufficient to 

 show us that it was really true. 



It was necessary for the Deity to send instructors occasionally 

 to teach men a purer system of morality than they were naturally 

 disposed to practise ; and to destroy all tendency to polytheism, 

 by inculcating the Unity of the Divine Being. Such instruc- 

 tors were Moses and Jesus Christ, who inculcated each the 

 system of morality best suited to the particular times in which 

 they lived. They were endowed with the power of working 

 miracles, in order to prove the truth of their mission ; and with 

 superior knowledge^ as far their mission was concerned : but 



